2002 Dodge RAM Quad Cab

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB 4X4, VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND WAS NEVER ABUSED. ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED A CRACK ON THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS ONE CRACK HAD GROWN TO 6 CRACKS. THEN ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO THE AIR WOULD NOT FLOW THROUGH THE DASH VENTS ANYMORE. IN ORDER TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM I HAD TO REMOVE THE DASH BOARD TO GET THE HEAT AND AIR SYSTEM. WHEN I REMOVED THE DASH BOARD IT CRUMBLED INTO ABOUT 20 PCS. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIR PROBLEM I FOUND OUT THE BLEND DOOR THAT CONTROLS THE AIR TO THE DASH WAS BROKEN. SEEMS THIS IS A PROBLEM. I AM NOW HAVING TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD, FRONT AND REAR PC AND THE 4 BLEND DOORS IN THE AIR SYSTEM. WHILE REPLACING THE SHOCKS I NOTICED THE RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING EXTREMELY BAD WHICH HAS NEVER LEAKED BEFORE. NO NOISE WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, NO WARNING LIGHT TO ADVISE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 20 MPH INTO HIS DRIVEWAY THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED. HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,100.

PURCHASED 2002 DODGE RAM USED. AT FIRST SERVICE INTERVAL, RACK AND PINION BOOTS WERE LEAKING, MAIN SEAL WAS SHOT. ALSO HAD MANIFOLD LEAK, ALONG WITH A STEERING PROBLEM THAT CAUSES SHAKING AT 40 MPH. STEERING PROBLEM STILL REMAINS, AND THERE IS A LOUD RATTLE THAT THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE, MOST RECENTLY, MY FUEL PUMP DECIDED TO QUIT WORKING. ALSO, THE INTERIOR TRIM, NAMELY THE HAND GRIPS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, DUE TO THE CHEAP PLASTIC THAT IS USED AS A HOLDING RING. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT HEADACHES WITH THE TRUCK, FROM THE SIMPLE THINGS, TO THE EXPENSIVE THINGS...WAS JUST TOLD THAT MY HEAD GASKETS ARE SHOT AS WELL, HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS ON THIS TRUCK, WITH NO RETURNS, DO NOT GET THIS YEAR/MODEL OF RAM 1500. *JB

I HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS AT ONLY 54,000 MILES ON A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. I LOOKED INTO THIS AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON THING TO HAPPEN, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, SOME AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES! I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS AND FIND OUT WHY IT IS FALLING APART SO SOON, AND POSSIBLY ISSUE A RECALL AND A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ALREADY SPENT THE 1100 TO FIX IT! *JB

FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED CAUSING EXCESSIVE LEAKING OF POWER STEERING FLUID AND FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING. DODGE/CHRYSLER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE IS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB, 4.7 LITER ENGINE. 72,000 HIGHWAY MILES. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION FROM THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT CAN HAPPEN 2,000 MILES TO 200,000 MILES INDICATING THE CONTINUED USE OF A DEFECTIVE PART. DESPITE MY WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE LABOR COSTS OF THE REPAIR CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THE $600.00 PART. THERE IS NO AFTER MARKET PART AVAILABLE DUE TO THE TRUCK BEING "TOO NEW" ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. THIS PART FAILED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND NOT ABUSE ON MY PART. THE PART CAN NOT BE REPAIRED AND MUST BE REPLACED SINCE DODGE/CHRYSLER DOES NOT SUPPLY A PARTS PACKAGE TO REPAIR THE PART. DUE TO THIS FACT THE PART MUST BE REPLACED AND NOT REPAIRED. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT SAFETY ISSUE AS THE POWER STEERING LEAKED OUT WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *JB